Friday, June 2, 2017

Review: Destroyer by Shannon Mayer

Destroyer
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: HiJinks Ink Publishing Ltd.
ASIN:  B06XCSVCR7
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

“My name is Larkspur, and I am an Elemental.”

My people use the power of the earth to sustain life and defy our enemies. I should be at my father's side as a royal princess. But as a half-breed, bastard child, that isn't going to happen.

Taken away by the last Spirit Walker, I am mean to train with him so that I can finally stop the false mother goddess and her plans to rule both humans and elementals. I am meant to train so that I can meet her on even ground, but training takes time.

Time is not something we have. The world is coming apart at the seams as the humans rain down destruction upon their own kind and the supernatural world. The false mother goddess is hunting down the most powerful elementals to take the last of their power, and through it all, the secrets of who I truly am begin to spill upward.

I must find the strength to stop the mother goddess, and to save our world, but which aspect of my heart will hold me up and what will it cost me in the end?

Blood of the earth. . . .
Child of Spirit. . . .
Bastard Princess . . .
Ender . . .
Protector . . .

Destroyer.

DESTROYER really did destroy. Characters were destroyed, homes were destroyed, alliances were destroyed, emotions were destroyed and almost the world.

Shannon threw a lot of twists at us in DESTROYER. All of your perceived notions about some characters and events will be thrown out the window entirely. The pace was pretty slow at times, but there was plenty of action and fast paced scenes to get you excited for what came next. Lark's destiny is in no way easy and she lost a lot along the way to get there.

I really enjoyed DESTROYER, until the end. It did wrap up the series, but I just didn't enjoy the way it ended. It felt way too froufrou at times and it didn't feel natural to Lark's character.

I'm sad to see the Elemental series end, but I enjoyed the journey.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Review: Shadow Reaper by Christine Feehan

Shadow Reaper
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Jove
Shadow Book #2
ISBN:   0399583955
ISBN13: 9780399583957
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher via NetGalley

#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan continues her sexy new series, as the Ferraros—a Chicago crime family—use their power as shadow riders to protect their empire and the ones they love…

Billionaire playboy Ricco Ferraro knows no other life. Being a shadow rider is in his blood - but so is a haunting desperation stemming from the secrets of his dark past. His recklessness puts not only his life at risk, but also the future of his entire family. To save them all, he must find a woman who can meet his every desire with a heat all her own...

Just when Ricco has given up hope, he meets her - a mysterious woman whose shadow connects with his. She's someone looking for a safe haven from the danger that has stalked her over the last several months. In Ricco's embrace, she finds one. But the darkness in which they so often find sanctuary can also consume them...

I absolutely loved SHADOW RIDER and couldn't wait to get my hands on SHADOW REAPER. Although book two didn't blow me away, I still enjoyed jumping back into the Shadow world and revisiting some of my favorite characters from book one.

I really liked both Ricco and Mariko as characters and they worked well together as allies and a couple, but their relationship didn't seem to resonate as deeply with me as Stefano and Francesca from book one did. I don't know why, I just felt like their romance was missing that all consuming connection that I was looking for. On top of that, I wasn't really into the Shibari aspect of their relationship so those moments bored me more than pulled me in. Their back stories however pulled me in like their relationship didn't. Both of their stories were very interesting and heartbreaking at times.

The pace in SHADOW REAPER was on the slower side, but I really loved all the action scenes. I really enjoyed the fact that Mariko was bad-ass on her own and was able to completely and fully protect herself and those around her and although Ricco wanted to protect her, he LET her protect herself.

Although SHADOW REAPER wasn't the home run that SHADOW RIDER was for me, it was still a great addition to the shadow world. I learned a lot more about the world and the characters and it made me love all the characters even more than I did before. I will be stalking Goodreads until book three goes up so I can add it to my wishlist.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Cover Reveal: New Moon by Lisa Kessler

NM Cover Reveal

FROM AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR LISA KESSLER COMES A SEXY, NEW STANDALONE PARANORMAL ROMANCE IN HER MOON SERIES, NEW MOON! THE FINAL INSTALLMENT IS RELEASING JUNE 19, 2017. DON’T MISS THE AMAZING COVER AND BLURB BELOW!

 

New Moon
Moon #8  
 
 Jaguar shifter Sebastian Severino is an enigma. He lives alone, works alone, and will die alone. But the night he’s attacked by a female werewolf, nothing will ever be the same. And when his young niece is kidnapped, Sebastian, the deadliest assassin Nero has ever produced, will be forced to choose a side...
Isabelle Wood has never taken the easy path. As a bounty hunter and now a bitten werewolf without a mate, she’s searching for answers to her father’s disappearance while helping to lead an Alphaless Pack. The night she gets the opportunity to take out their enemy, with her blade at his throat, her wolf discovers her mate in the last person she can be with.

AMAZON | BN | ENTANGLED | GOODREADS


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Lisa Kessler is a Best Selling author of dark paranormal fiction. She's a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal. Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award. When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, and has performed with San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.

Find Lisa and her books
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COMING SOON!! Cover Reveal: New Moon by Lisa Kessler


Come back at 9:00 am EST!

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Monday, May 29, 2017

Early Review: White Hot by Ilona Andrews

White Hot
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Avon
Hidden Legacy Book #2
ISBN:  006228925X
ISBN13: 9780062289254
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

The Hidden Legacy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews continues as Nevada and Rogan navigate a world where magic is the norm…and their relationship burns hot

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.” But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice …
I was so very sad when it was announced that book two, WHITE HOT, was going to be delayed for a re-release of BURN FOR ME. I read BURN FOR ME immediately upon release so it was a very long almost three year wait. BUT, I re-read BURN FOR ME and all the great reasons I fell in love with Nevada and the Hidden Legacy world came flooding back very quickly and I was ready to read WHITE HOT when it so lovingly landed in my lap.

A short two months have passed since the events of BURN FOR ME took place. Has Nevada and Mad Rogan seen each other? Has anyone found out her secret? Every moment of finding out the answers to those questions and more was great.

I absolutely love both Nevada and Rogan separately, but together? They are truly something else. Sparks are always flying whether it's because they're fighting each other, fighting their attraction, or giving into it. They both have strengths that they bring to their relationship and watching that relationship evolve is pure entertainment.

On top of the romance we get in WHITE HOT, we also get to learn a lot more about Rogan and his past. His story was not only mind-opening, but also heartbreaking. He has been through alot and learning it made me love him even more than I already did and I felt like I truly understood him and his faults so much better.

The worldbuilding in this series is fantastically done. I love learning about the different magics and people. Nothing is introduced without a reason and the reason is always intriguing. The ending of WHITE HOT left me yearning to find out how things would end for Nevada and her family—although I really don't want their story to end. Do yourself a favor and put this series on your to-read list, you won't be disappointed.

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Week in Review: 5/21-5/27



Books Received for Review

None this week!

Books I've Read

No Good Deed by Kara Connolly
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano
The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper

Reviews Posted


The Sin Eater by Jennifer Harlow
Demon Cursed by Karilyn Bentley

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Guest Blog + Giveaway for Writing the Wolf by Steffanie Holmes

* Thursday- Promo + Giveaway for Alpha Squad: Infiltrator by Lorelei Moone


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